Best Film Speeches and Monologues. Most Controversial Films of All Time. Irreversible (2002, Fr.)
D. Gaspar Noe Walkouts were common during this French thriller, which depicted a vicious and lengthy rape and its brutal aftermath in reverse chronological order. Frenchman writer/director Gaspar Noe's hard-hitting, graphic, profoundly disturbing and violent film about rape revenge, was non-linear - it was told in flashback and reverse order in continuously-filmed takes, similar in structure to Christopher Nolan's Memento (1999), with the theme: "Time destroys everything. " The fatalistically-tinged film implied that the characters in the film were predestined (irreversibly) to face what would happen to them.
It was also noted for its excruciatingly-long, almost-unbearable, painful-to-watch, nine-minute real-time beating and anal-rape sequence - shot with a static camera. Also earlier in the chronology (the film's final scene) was a love-making (or spooning) scene of Alex with boyfriend Marcus (Vincent Cassel, Bellucci's real-life husband). Most Controversial Films of All Time. Basic Instinct (1992) D.
Paul Verhoeven Sharon Stone's turn as a seductive, bisexual murderess made her a star, but the movie raised hackles for its misogyny and salacious depiction of lethal lesbians. Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas created this exploitative, soft-porn, excessive, controversial film known for its negative portrayal of lesbianism, offensive violence, initial X-rating, and voyeuristic, sensational, gratuitous sex. The film was criticized for its permissiveness, steamy content (scene of cunnilingus), unnecessary nudity, its depiction of lesbian characters, and its scenes of bondage (especially with reversed roles).
Threatened with an NC-17 rating, and reduced to R rating (with cuts), this flashy film was then released with a more explicit 'Director's Cut' version for the video market, with the extra-steamy scenes. The sexually-charged film featured the taunting femme fatale predator with an insatiable sexual appetite and possibly homicidal tendencies. Most Controversial Films of All Time. Hard Candy (2005) D.
David Slade Subtle performances helped make this thriller about a young teen sparring with a suspected pedophile seem thought-provoking rather than sleazy. Music video director David Slade's first feature film was this thought-provoking, exploitative female revenge thriller. In many ways, the threatened young 'jailbait' teen thoroughly tortured, abused (and murdered) a suspected pedophile targeting her, with actions including drugging her victim, asphyxiating him with plastic wrap, threatened castration, knocking him out with a stun gun, and blackmailing him into eventual hanging himself with a noose.
As a character, she was as reprehensible as her prey. It began with seemingly-innocent 14 year old, red-hooded femme fatale Hayley Stark (Ellen Page) (screenname Thonggrrrrrl14) meeting 32 year old photographer Jeff Kohlver (Patrick Wilson) (screenname Lensman319) in an Internet chat room. Later, she accused him of being a pedophile: Jeff: "You were coming on to me. "